Abdominal band.



G. F. EARNSHAW.

ABDOMINAL BAND. APPLICATION 2mm D20. is, 1911.

Patented July 7, 1914, J

'ing the fabric.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. EAR-NSHAW, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO EARNSHAW KNITTING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ABDOMINAL BAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J ill) '7, 1914;.

Application filed December 23,1911. Serial No. 667,502.

and which while at all times fitting snugly to the body and supplying the necessary support to the muscles, will readily 'ada t itself to the movements of the infant wit out unduly confining or compressing the abdomen and the internal organs. As is well known to those skilled in the care of infants, the urpose of-such a band is to support and retain in position the stomach, a domen and other internal organs until the wound occasioned by the se'verin of the umbilical cord has healed and all dimger of umbilical-hernia past; It is therefore necessary that the band fit snugly about the body of the infant in contact with and supporting every portion thereof. Bands for this purpose have heretofore been made by tearing or cutting a piece of flannel or other heavy woven material into strips of the desired shape and size. A band so produced is wrapped around the body of a child between his hips and arms, and the strip is pinned or sewed in place, the pins or stitches being removed whenever it is desired to takeoff the band. The use of the pins or the needles incidental to the stitching of the band have been productive of innumerable accidents, and except in the hands of the most careful persons have provided a fre-. quent source of serious injury to the infant. Moreover, where these means of, fastening the band in position are employed it has been necessary to make the band of heavy and strong material to prevent the pins or stitches from'becom'ing loose or from tear- This material has been found in many instances damaging to the skin of the baby, chafing and irritating it, and renderin any movement by the infant wearer excee ingly painful. A band made from such material must be provided with a number of seams or. darts in order to render it snugly fitting about all portions of the body, and to enable it to supply the necessary support to the various organs. These darts and seams are, unless the band is carefully positioned, likely to press into the body, and thereby reduce an additional source of irritation anc discomfort to the child.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a babys abdominal band which may be made of knitted or other soft light weight material which will fit itself snugly about the body of the infant and furnish the support necessary for the organs without having formed therein the objectionable seams and darts hereinbefore described, and which will require no other fastenin means than those permanently attached to t 1e band to retain. it in position, thereby obviating the dangers and inconveniences attendant upon the use of pins or the sewing of the band while it is on the baby.

Further aims and advantages of my invention'will be apparent as the same is bet ter understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forms one embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings :-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a band embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the band shown in Fig. 1 as it would appear when in position on an infant.

On the drawings like characters of refer ence refer to similar parts throughout the various figures.

The body of the band consists of a strip 10 of woven or knitted fabric of any desired size and contour, but which I have shown as substantially rectangular in form having the ends thereof rounded to remove any corners liable to be folded back and pressed into the body of the infant. The strip of fabric 10 is preferably finished around its' edges by means of the buttonhole' stitching 11 although this feature may be omitted, it being deemed advisable when number, there being shown in the present instance for purposes of illustration one attached to the tape 13 at each end thereof and one to its middle. Spaced from the other end 16 of the band 1 have provided the tape 17 parallel to the tape 14: and similarly secured to the band, the distance between the end 12 and the tape 17 being less than the girth of the infant for which the band is intended. Perpendicular to the tape 17 are attached the ends of a plurality of tapes 18 corresponding in number and similarly positioned to the tapes 15.

To position a band made in pursuance with my invention about the body of an infant, it is only necessary that the band be made to encircle his body, care being taken that the end 16 lies next the body with the side of the band carrying the tapes disposed outwardly. It will then be found that the end 12 will extend over the end 16 and the tapes 1a and 17 will be adjacent each other at the front of the child. Each of the tapes 15 may now be tied to-its corresponding tape 18 as shown at 19 to retain the band in position upon the infant. It will be manifest that a band embodying my invention so positioned upon a child will presentto his body only the smooth even surface of the inner side, the end 16 being disposed beneath and protecting the body from the tapes 18 and 15, the knots forming their union and the end 12 of the band.

It will be obvious that a bandmade in pursuance with my invention may be constructed of the finest woven or knitted material adapted of itself to conform to the body of the child without the necessity of providing objectionable darts and seams and without the use of pins, stitches and the like being required to retain it inposition, it only being necessary that the material possess suflicient strength to supply the necessary support to the body of the infant.

'hereinbefore disclosed being merely one embodiment thereof.

I claim An article of manufacture, comprising a body band adapted for use on babies, and consisting of a strip of seamless soft elastic fabric continuous throughout its length and breadth to present an unbroken smooth inner surface said strip being of substantial and approximately uniform width throughout, to contact with and support all portions of the body between its hips and arms when wrapped therearound, and one of lj he strips constituting an extension adapted to underlie to a considerable extent the intermediate portion of the strip, in combination with complementary fastening means carried by the strip adapted to be secured together on the outside of the strip over the relatively exposed portion of the extension, said fas tening means comprising inelastic flexible attaching portions secured transversely of the strip one near one end of the strip and another nearer the center of the strip, and tapes carried by said attaching portions,

said tapes being relatively widely spaced to engage the strip near its upper and lower edges and also at an intermediate point.

GEORGE F. EARNSHAW. Witnesses:

IRA J. WILsoN, M. A. Kmnm. 

